


Holding Down the Front

by Blue_Link13



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F'lhaminn reminiscences about Minfilia, Rowena does business, Tataru Leads the Scions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21839437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Link13/pseuds/Blue_Link13
Summary: With the Scions busy on The First, the rest of the members look up at Tataru to lead them through the war with Garlemald
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5
Collections: Final Fantasy XIV Gift Exchange (2019)





	Holding Down the Front

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samjohnsson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samjohnsson/gifts).



Tataru went back to her desk on the Rising Stones and sighed. It was a long day, again, like pretty much all of them have been since the Warrior of Light left to The First in search of the Scions.

But trouble did not stop just because of the savior of the land decided to go elsewhere and took it with them, there was still a war to be fought almost right on her doorstep, and with no-one from the Original Guard left, and Krile busy looking over the comatose bodies of their friends, everyone looked up to her to take the reins of the organization.

Which most of the time, honestly, would be fine, she was used to being knee deep on Scion business, crunching the numbers to allow them to keep on saving the realm, but the Scions were the glue that kept the Alliance together, which meant that she went from accountant, to spy and information broker, to one of the most important people in the continent, almost to the levels of the nation leader themselves. And as stressing, and anxiety inducing the though was, she would do whatever it takes to ensure when the Warrior and the Scions came back, they would have a place to be back.

Thankfully for her with little actual forces that Riol was more than happy to command on her stead, and Unukalhai taking over Urianger’s duties on managing the primal she was left to do what she knew best, talk to people. Sure, she might not have the tactical and diplomatic genius of Alphinaud, but she could hold her own on a negotiation, and her skill with numbers meant she could focus her efforts on logistics and getting supplies, a deal she reached with the Alliance leaders to allow them to better concentrate on the defense over at Gymlyt.

And the first order of the day was very important to ensure that. The armies at the front were running low on materials for weapon maintenance, including rare alloys needed to keep Ishgard’s cannons and Ironworks’ magitek, one of the pillars of the defense efforts, working

There was only one person on the realm with the resources to get enough of it quickly to the front, and when she heard the knock on the door of the main office of the Rising Stones.

Rowena entered the place walking with a lot of confidence, clearly aware that she had the upper hand in the upcoming negotiation, and everyone knew that the woman was ruthless when it came to business, having become one fo the most affluent people in Eorzea, and the one you turn to to get the most weird and rare thing you could imagine (Nanamo had once shared over a bottle of wine that Lolorito is apparently a collector of recording of romantic, episodic Allagan plays), including copious amounts of rare ore from outside of Eorzea.

“Rowena, good morning. Would you like a seat?” Greeted Tataru as she extended her hand to the chair in front of her.

“Thank you. Let’s get down to business if you don’t mind, after all, we are both busy woman”

“Indeed, I gather you’ve went over the letter detailing what we need?”

“Yes, and it won’t be hard to procure, a few of my girls are out of the realm and I would just need to say the word and they would be able to bring a shipment in a fortnight, but the urgency of the request and the danger of the zone you need it to be mean my fees would be quite high”  
“I guess that would be the case. The Alliance is ready to pay a hefty fee for tham, after all they are crucial to our efforts, but I wouldn’t call myself a Falafel if I didn’t try to push for a better deal. Is there anything we could do to agree on a lower payment?”  
“Hmm… I normally wouldn’t budge, but I do like Eorzea, and I need it free to keep the House going, so maybe there might be something… Ah Ha! I might be willing to charge normal rate, if you Scions were willing to offer some manpower. I am in need of more arms for a new expedition I have planned to go out in a few moons, and also to guard your shipment and make sure it gets where it needs to be.”

“That could be possibly arranged I think. We are a bit tight on manpower, but I do think we have some hand to spare. Let me summon Riol so we can talk it with him. Anything else we might discuss?”

“Just make sure those bastards don’t get here to take away the mreddom of me and my girls”

Tataru smiled “That we can also do”

A few hours later and Rowena was leaving the building satisfied, having secured the help of a small platoon of Scions for her next expedition to uncharted lands as part of the payment, and Tataru was finally allowed to rest for a bit before her next meeting to see about holding a recruitment drive to deal with the increasing demand for Scions due to the war and absence of the Warrior of light and the Archons. They needed not only more people capable of using a weapon, but more aetherologists and researchers to fill the hole left by Y’Shtola and Urianger, which honestly dealt with more work than any man should.

She approached the bar of the Stones, where the woman behind the counter was already finishing a cup of tea for her.  
“Oh, thanks F’Lhaminn, this is exactly what I needed”

“You know it’s no trouble Tataru, it’s all I can do to help everyone help keep this land safe”

“I sometimes wonder this days if this is how Minfillia felt every day. The endless meetings definitely take all I have, but It’s also a small price to pay to help, so they can be back to a place that still lives, so the people can have a place to live”

“I regret not being with her during those times, but the Ascilia I knew would have felt just the same, that no personal sacrifice is too much for the good of men. And considering whet she went to do, I’d say that never changed”  
“Yes, she never did. Which is why we should also do out best, as the Warrior of Light says, For Those We Lost, For Those We Can Yet Save”

Tataru rose her cup and then took a drink at it, then started to smile as she started to remember something. After all, hard as it might be, the job also came with perks  
“Now, to distract ourselves from gloomy matters for a bit, let me tell you this hilarious story Rowena told me while we were talking…”

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed it samjohnsson! I will fully admit dialogue is not my forte so it might not be that good, but I really loved the idea of a Tataru becoming a powerful figure in geopolitics because of the simple fact that she's the only one left and it was a blast to write.  
> Happy Holidays!


End file.
